Soccer action will take over Williamstown on Saturday, June 24, with the return of the Kicks for a Cure tournament, in support of Beyond 21.

New this year, the matches will be played on the fields at the public school, rather than the high school.

From the organizers, this reminder to participants: Teams are asked to show up 15 minutes early for each game. Being more than 10 minutes late for a game will result in an automatic forfeit.

The tournament is co-ed and one girl must be on the field at all times.

All proceeds will be donated to Beyond 21. Beyond 21 is a support program for adults with developmental disabilities. It is a registered charity that receives no government funding and is dependent on fundraisers and donations to maintain their program. At Beyond 21 they are Dream Chasers. They partner with adults with developmental disabilities, learn what their dreams are for their future, and help them to learn the skills they need, and make the connections they need to achieve their dreams. Their vision is to enable adults with developmental disabilities to live connected, respected, and contributing to our community.

The annual Finch Youth Broomball tournament opens tonight, Jan. 13, at 6pm, with a pair of peewee games, followed by two bantam-midget contests. Round-robin action continues throughout the day on Saturday, from 8:30am to 7:45pm.

Playoffs for all divisions take place Sunday as follows:

9am: peewee C final
9:45am: bantam/midget C final
10:30am: peewee B final
11:15am: bantam/midget B final
noon: peewee A final
12:45pm: bantam/midget A final

In all, there are 19 teams scheduled to participate, with players ranging in age from 3 through 15. Admission of $2 is charged for adults and children over 12.

The Eastern Ontario Thunder competitive girls team will be serving brunch from 8am to 1pm. On display in the foyer of the Finch arena foyer will be a number of articles from local players and teams that have represented both the region and the nation in world competitions.

Following each match on the ice, a hustler of the game award will be presented.

The Seaway Valley minor atom 'A' hockey team opened the season with a tournament triumph in Rochester (New York) earlier this month. At the Sept. 16-18 competition, the Rapids went undefeated, earning the championship of the Monarch Battle Royal AAA Tournament Series for players born in 2007.

SVR faced off with five teams over the weekend, defeating each team by a large margin. Strong skating, consistent passing, intensive offence, and solid defence were keys to the success.

“During game play, the players impressed the bench with their tenacity and their cohesion,” states head coach Miguel Delisle. “The players’ hard work and commitment over the last month of practices certainly paid off.”

Game scoring summaries for round-robin play and the championship final are as follows:

The defensive squad, led by goalie tandem Eli Seguin and Tristan Pacquette, performed solidly throughout tournament play, allowing only three goals over six games. Defensively, the team has proven it will be a tough unit to break through, while offensively, the SVR team is certain to put opposing defensive squads under pressure.

League play for the Minor Atom team begins September 25th in Maxville at 5PM against the Ottawa Valley Silver Seven.